Reviewed by: Liv George
Upgrades at Alabama sorority houses highlighted in Wall Street Journal
Reading time: 3 minutes
The University of Alabama’s investment to Greek life is well known, not just around the state but also nationwide.
Sorority row seems to get bigger and bigger every year with improvements to the exterior of the buildings being noticeable to the public. But the renovations don’t end there, as the Wall Street Journal has pointed out in a recent profile of sorority houses across the country.
Keep reading to find out more about what the WSJ had to say about the recent multi-million-dollar improvements on campus.
‘You feel like you live in a mansion’
Wall Street Journal’s article focuses on how the rise in construction costs have impacted an increase in budget for the sorority houses. Writer Sarah Paynter quickly points to the Delta Zeta house that was rebuilt in 2017.
“At the University of Alabama, members of the Delta Zeta sorority live in a $17 million, 40,000-square-foot home with a grand staircase, a crystal chandelier and a custom leaded-glass window displaying the group’s logo.”
~ Wall Street Journal article
But that’s not the only house at Alabama or in the country to put that kind of money into its home. The Wall Street Journal also points out houses at:
- University of Oklahoma
- University of Arkansas
- University of Mississippi
- Texas A&M University
According to the article, Alabama got its first $10+ million sorority house approved in 2013. Over the following three years, almost every sorority on campus had spent that much on their house.
The expenses go into a wide variety of things inside the home including:
- ADA-compliant requirements
- Dining halls
- Commercial kitchens
Spending money to make money
As you’d expect, the luxury houses are a big reason sorority life is so popular in Tuscaloosa. The houses are a direct way to recruit potential new members as it is largely the first impression a sorority can make.
“’Young women are a lot more in tune and interested in what their living space is like. When I lived at the Theta house, I couldn’t have told you what the couch looked like—I didn’t care about any of that. Now they just do.’ When a sorority house is unrenovated, she said, ‘it is a competitive disadvantage if other houses have beautiful facilities.'”
~ A sorority corporation board president quoted in the Wall Street Journal article
Impacted by inflation
The University of Alabama will often extend loans to the sororities to build these houses on campus. Some of the budget will also come from internal fundraising.
It’s not all about spending though. Sororities have to stick to a budget and those budgets are impacted by inflation.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Alabama’s Sigma Kappa chapter paused its plans for a new, roughly $24.7 million house, according to university documents. The price tag would have set a record for the nation, but a university spokesperson said the project was paused because it had become too pricey due to inflation.
What do you think about the growth of Alabama’s sorority row over the past decade? Let us know by tagging The Bama Buzz on Instagram, X, Facebook + LinkedIn.
